AMERICAN TRADE CERTIFICATE 301 



"Our softer dent corn is nevertheless preferred in all the European 

 markets, and the maintenance and increase of our export trade are de- 

 pendent only upon its being shipped so that it will arrive in uniformly 

 good condition. As deterioration of corn during ocean transit is di- 

 rectly dependent upon the amount of moisture it contains, there is an 

 easy and practicable remedy for the present condition in artificial dry- 

 ing. This has been successfully tried at New Orleans and the neces- 

 sary machinery is now being installed in Baltimore and Boston. 



American Trade Certificate in Export Trade. During the last 

 few years American grain has been discriminated against rather se- 

 verely. This discrimination has been a united action of the grain-hand- 

 ling interests in Europe, which from their letters seems justifiable. 

 They have taken a very fair view of the situation and seem willing to 

 co-operate with the American exporter in removing the trouble. 



The following letter was read by Hon. Alse J. Gronna, Represen- 

 tative from the State of North Dakota, before House Committee on 

 Interstate and Foreign Commerce: 



"London Corn Trade Association, 



Exchange Chambers, 28 St. Mary Ave., 

 London, January 20, 1908. 

 "Mr. President, — 



"I am instructed by the European International Committee on 

 American Grain Certificates to communicate to you the following 

 facts : 



"There has been for some years past a general consensus of opinion 

 among European buyers of grain that the operation of the present 

 system of certificating grain for export is increasingly unsatisfactory 

 and that whatever may be its merits for the purposes of domestic trad- 

 ing, it no longer gives to European buyers the confidence and protec- 

 tion which is necessary in a trade where the only guaranty for re- 

 liable quality and condition in exchange for buyer's money is a paper 

 certificate. Formerly, buyers in buying from the United States of 

 America were able, as they still are in their dealings in grain with 

 other exporting countries, to recover from shippers any damage they 

 sustain owing to defects in quality or condition ; but since the intro- 

 duction of the certificating system, this is no longer possible. Even 

 after its introduction, indeed, until comparatively recent times, it was 

 seldom found that any serious abuses arose and, trusting to their be- 

 lief in the reliability of the grading system, buyers were willing to 

 continue trading with America on less favorable terms than they de- 

 manded elsewhere ; but, whether from increase of individual competi- 



